A Day in Our Life
by Lady-Rinoa14
Summary: 1 x R. AU. One-shot. He does not want the past. She does not want the future. What they only have is the present.


**A Day in Our Life**

 _"The feeling of holding our hands together, the courage to pull you closer_  
 _The crumbling sounds only increase the rate of my heart_  
 _Right now it's love, love, just a little bit more, I'm almost a different me_  
 _It'll reach you~ I'll tell you~ I'll make it echo~"_

 _~A Day in Our Life by Arashi~  
(Translation credits to nautiljon dot com)_

~o~

* * *

 _The next train will arrive shortly._

 _The next train will arrive shortly._

After the feminine robotic voice ended its announcement, twenty-four year-old Relena Darlian gripped the strap of her hand bag harder against her shoulder. It was almost noon; the sun was about to reach its highest peak for the day, but somehow the twenty-eight-degrees-Celsius weather that day did nothing to warm her body despite wearing a white sundress, no less. If anything, she felt colder than ever. Her fingers were shaking, her breathing turned heavy, and the back of her neck was freezing – the latter being the ultimate sign that she was nervous beyond normal.

Looking around her, at the long lines of people waiting for the train, she realized that she was probably the only one dreading the approaching train. Take the red-headed teenager standing a few feet from her as an example. The girl had a distant and dreamy look in her eyes, her neck craned up at the sign board, counting down the seconds to when the train will arrive – Relena envied that look. And probably even that feeling of uncontained waiting and happiness just to see, even for a few seconds, the person you are in love with. At least that seemed liked what the teenager was waiting for behind those dreamy eyes. Relena wanted to have that feeling, or any kind of feeling, right now instead of the dread creeping in her.

Should she just miss this train? She probably should. She most probably will.

Before Relena can think about it thoroughly, the buzzer signalling the train's arrival and also the rumbling of the train approaching cut through her thoughts, and before she knew it, the train was standing in front of her. The doors opened and a crowd of people started stepping out of the train. When she thought that there was no one coming out anymore, she took a deep breath and took a step inside the train until she noticed someone scuttling towards her. The figure was running fast that he crashed against her. Relena yelped at the impact and closed her eyes to brace herself for her impending fall to the concrete platform which never happened. Surprised, Relena opened her eyes, and found herself staring at Prussian blue eyes behind locks of dark brown hair staring back at her. A cough from a man behind her shook them from their staring game, realizing that they were holding up the line behind her. Not only that, Relena also noticed why she had not fallen. The man's arms were wrapped around her waist and back, flushing her petite body against his.

Upon hearing another cough from behind them, the stranger helped her stand properly, and gently held her elbow to push her to the side to let the people enter the train.

"Are you okay?" the man with the Prussian blue eyes asked. He had a smooth velvet voice that sent shivers up her spine to compound the heat that radiated from where he touched her on her elbow.

Dazed, Relena pulled her elbow away from his touch and looked at the stranger who bumped into her once more. Dark brown hair fell unruly down his eyes, chiselled jaws, a handsome face that can turn heads, and penetrating Prussian blue eyes. He was taller than her, by a foot or so; he had broad shoulders and sculpted muscles and thighs that were evident in his green polo shirt and from the way he held his North Face bag on his shoulder. Relena's gaze went downward and surveyed his dark jeans which accentuated his long legs, and down further to his Doc Marten boots. He was gorgeous; sexy even. While Relena slid her gaze up to his face once more, her face flushed as his eyes also made a sweep of her form starting from the sunglasses on her head, down to her white sundress, and white sandals. She had never felt more self-conscious in her life.

"Are you getting in?" he asked once more, that voice shaking her back to reality just when the train buzzed, indicating its departure.

She stalled for a while, then shook her head. "No. Not anymore."

The doors closed and the train sped away, her eyes never leaving the train until it was no longer in sight.

"I'm sorry, Miss."

"No, it's okay."

"Are you hurt?"

Bringing her eyes to look at the handsome stranger again, she saw the concern in his eyes. So she managed to smile. "I'm fine."

That made him smile, as well. His perfect white teeth dazzling her further. Was there anything unattractive about this man? "You sure? You were supposed to be on that train. I made you lose that. Let me –"

"No, really. It's okay. You did me a favour, actually. I can always take the other trip," she glanced at her white wristwatch. "After seven hours. To be honest, I wasn't ready to go right now. So your timing was opportune. I think you were in a hurry, too. So I won't keep you. Have a good day."

"What are you going to do for seven hours?" He voiced out before she can even turn around. Relena noticed the new set of lines forming on the train platform already.

She shrugged. "It's New Port City. You never get bored in New Port City. I can do a lot of things to kill time."

"You're a national, then?"

She raised a brow. "Do I look like a tourist?"

"I knew it." The smile was back on his face. "I'm from the L1 Colony Cluster. I'm a tourist here. I was thinking maybe _you_ can show me around? I can also take you for coffee, if you want. To make up for my running into you."

"You're a stranger." Relena narrowed her eyes, remembering his haste in leaving the train. He can be a criminal or a stowaway for all she knew.

"Let's rectify that." He took a step toward her and extended his hand. "My name is Heero. Heero Yuy."

"Relena," she relented, holding his hand which stayed there for a second too long.

"So Ms. Relena, will you do me the honor of being my tour guide around the capital for seven hours?"

"You're a stranger who made me miss my train." Heero was about to say a comeback until she held up a finger. "And I am thankful for that. So let's go. How about early lunch?"

~o~

* * *

"Woah," Heero said, eyes widening at the sight of the largest steak he had ever seen. "It's a good thing I'm famished."

"Told you so." Relena grinned, her hands unfolding on the table as her pasta was served.

"Good company. Good food. New Port City is topping my list of best cities in the galaxy," Heero remarked after they finished eating their meals, and the waitress had whisked away their plates for dessert.

"I'm touched." Relena cocked her head to the side as she dipped a french fry on ketchup. "So what brings you to Sanc?"

"My bestfriend's wedding; a couple of days ago. I was the best man. Decided to stay a bit longer to roam the city a bit. They're now in a Colony for their honeymoon."

"Where did they get married?"

"At the Church near the Peacecraft Palace."

"Wow. At the largest Church in Sanc. Congratulations, then."

"How about you?"

"I live in Sanc."

"Thanks, Miss Obvious." Heero raised a brow, part-amused and curious about his companion. _What an elusive one, this girl,_ he thought. It only made him more determined to unveil her secrets. "You off to see your boyfriend?" he asked, holding his breath.

The blonde just chuckled. "I don't have a boyfriend. And what makes you say that?"

"It's hard not to assume," he said, taking in Relena's golden hair and the sunflowers on her sundress – she was glowing. "You're radiant and nice."

 _Radiant._ She bit her lip from making her smile. "Well it's bad to assume. But thanks. How about you? You off to see your girlfriend?"

"Because I'm drop-dead gorgeous?" Heero smirked.

Relena chortled just when their cheesecake was served, which they both took turns eating.

"You're not denying I'm gorgeous," he pressed, and she shrugged with a close-lipped, teasing smile on her face. "To answer your question, I don't have a girlfriend," he added. "So what do you do?"

"I'm an editor in a local publishing company. How about you?"

"I'm a pilot."

"What airline?"

"Winner Airlines."

Winner Airlines. She'd heard of it. Owned by the Winner Group of Companies, it was the only airline yet that had perfected hyperspace travel, making traveling from Earth to the Colonies faster and safer than ever. She had read how intense the training was for its pilots, which was why she could not help gawking at her companion. A hyperspace pilot!

"So you must be really good, huh?"

Heero shrugged. "I guess so. They kind of just sensationalize how hard our trainings are, but I'm still proud I got through."

 _Handsome and humble,_ Relena thought. What else could this guy be? "Been to a lot of places already? How old are you anyway?"

"Twenty-four." Ooh, same age. "I've been a pilot for two years so far. But yes, I've been to a lot of places."

"What's the best place you've been to?"

A lazy smile crept on his face. "Sanc."

She rolled her eyes, but was smiling an I-Don't-Believe-You smile. "This isn't even work-related."

Heero chuckled. "Yeah, I guess that's also why it's been great so far. No pressure of working here. But I swear it's true. Maybe the companion has everything to do with it, too."

"Cheesecake," Relena replied, trying her best not to reel at his latest comment.

"What?"

"Cheesecake," she repeated, pointing at a spot beside her lips, silently telling him he had cheesecake cream on his face.

When the cream spread across his face after trying to swipe it off with a finger, Relena leaned over and dapped tissue at the area until it was gone. It was time to lean away, but she remained where she was, her eyes eyeing his lips, aware that his eyes were on her. Their breaths caught, and the world stood still went she lifted her gaze to meet his eyes once more. Their staring contest was broken when Relena felt something sticky on her elbow, only to realize that her elbow had fallen against the cheesecake on the table.

"Oh yuck," she exclaimed, crinkling her nose. They both laughed at the incident, even when Heero paid the bill, and exited the restaurant – satiated.

"Where to?" Heero asked, the bright sun high above them.

"You really want to stick around with me for the next…" Relena glanced at her watch. "Five hours?"

"I'd like to say I'd like to stick around for more than that. But if I'm bothering you and you have other plans then…"

Relena held out a hand, shaking her head, her close-lipped teasing smile still reeling him in. "How about some history?"

~o~

* * *

"This is a badass museum." Heero stood at the entrance after paying for his and Relena's entrance fee. LED screens adorned the museum lobby, featuring 4D images of the recounting of the Eve Wars, ancient tools used by their ancestors, and of the precious gems and minerals in abundance in Sanc.

"Let's?" Relena stood by him after getting brochures and a map of the museum for him. If this guy really wanted to know about her country, then this was the place to be.

They spent a few hours inside the museum. At first Relena was nervous that Heero might find this place boring; contrary to that, she was surprised that he was fascinated in all the displays as he often stopped and took his time in admiring the paintings and exhibits, and by also reading all the information posted beside them. It was the only time Relena looked at solely one person longer than the exhibits in the museum. She also noticed that he lingered longer in the war memorial section of the museum, admiring the tanks, guns, soldier uniforms, mobile suits, and everything that was involved in the Eve Wars – the first war between Earth and the Colonies. And she admired him for that. Relena's friends weren't interested in history. She was probably the only one in their social circle who was interested in history and has visited the national museum. Knowing that this beautiful stranger was as interested as she was when she first entered these walls; she couldn't help but admire him even more.

After reading the information about a red mobile suit, Heero turned to Relena who looked away, flushed that he had seen her staring at him. "Sorry, I'm slowing us down."

"Not at all. Take your time." Relena waved a hand nonchalantly.

"I'm good here."

They proceeded in walking to the other side of the museum.

"You seem to be familiar with this place," Heero said, eyes trained on the portraits of the Peacecraft royal family.

"I've been here so many times. I love history."

"Me, too."

Relena smiled at his enthusiasm. "It's my first time here with company. None of my friends are interested. Oh, and this is my favourite painting."

They stopped in front of a five-foot painting of a beautiful blonde lady with cerulean blue eyes, who was wearing a white off-shoulder ballgown. She was standing with her hands folded delicately against her stomach. Her hair was braided into a bun on her head and was secured by a golden tiara. The highlight of the portrait was her close-lipped smile that reached her eyes.

Heero read the information on the side. "Princess Relena of Peacecraft. After Colony 195."

"I was named after her. Relena Peacecraft."

"No kidding. You look like her."

"That's what my parents said. When I was born and they saw that I had golden hair and blue eyes, they didn't think twice about naming me after her."

"You have the same smile, too."

"What?"

"Your smile. Always teasing, like you're hiding a secret."

"That's…" It took a moment for her to absorb his observation, staring at him unabashedly. "I want to be like her. She's beautiful, smart, and kind. Ever heard about her?" When Heero shook his head, she continued, "She was in a forbidden romance with her royal guard, Odin Lowe Jr. They got separated during the war that brought down the Peacecraft House. She was taken out of the palace by one of the ministers loyal to the King, who raised her later on. Then one day, she saw Odin washed up ashore on the beach. Alive. Nobody knew what happened to him. Other accounts say that he was caught as a prisoner of OZ and escaped, ending up on that beach. But whatever it was. She found him. They got together after that. The royal family was never restored having been replaced by the Parliament. So that was good for them. They lived quietly until their old age."

"That was… wow. She just found him? Just like that?"

"Yeah. I loved that story. What are the chances she'd be the one who found him on the beach?"

"Probably the same chance I got when I ran into you."

Silence stretched between them with Relena not knowing what to ever say to _that_ kind of remark. A group of tourists entering the area broke them away from their thoughts.

After leaving the museum, they walked along the oldest area of the city for more architectural sites. This part of New Port City was the most devastated during the war. The local government decided to preserve the ruins as a tourist attraction, while some of the churches and old houses were restored, and also to commemorate the war. They also walked around the Peacecraft Estate, a heritage site which the local government restored.

Relena was like a tourist guide and historian rolled into one as she lectured about the significance of each building in the history of Sanc. Heero, on the other hand, brought out a DSLR camera from his bag and started taking photos of the ruins. "This is what I love to do, too. Photography," he said before making Relena stand in front of the rose bushes in the garden of her namesake as his model. He was also mentally-correcting himself. This woman wasn't just gorgeous, radiant, and nice. She was intelligent, too. Definitely a plus in his book.

By the time they left the area, the sun was already beginning to set as pink and orange hues painted the sky. While they were walking out of the golden gate, Heero was browsing through his photos, and at one point had brought his hands down so Relena can see some of his shots. She slapped him on the arm not long after that.

"When did you take these?" she demanded with a repressed chuckle, looking at several candid photos of her – walking, touching a rose, holding her sunglasses, appreciating an old house.

"You're not the only one with secrets," Heero chimed, smiling. "By the way, I heard that the highest tower on Earth is here in Sanc."

"Yes, the Romafeller Tower."

"Can we go there? Hey, you're pale."

Relena shook her head. She slapped her cheeks in a poor attempt to bring back its color.

"You haven't been there?"

"No."

"Why?" Then it struck him. "Are you afraid of heights?"

Relena felt the blood drain from her face. "Yeah. But it's okay. Let's go."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. You might even help me cure that problem," she began, walking ahead of him.

~o~

* * *

"This is amazing."

"Okay, can we go down now?"

"Relena," Heero chastised, "Come closer," he invited, stretching out his hand for her to take.

After much pacing without him forcing her in any way, Relena made up her mind about accompanying him to the top viewing deck of the Romafeller Tower. The top of the tower's viewing deck was circular in shape and was enclosed in glass. There was a café at the center and was also surrounded by souvenir shops and tourists.

The sun had fully set by now, the sky was a dark patch decorated by bright stars complemented by the colourful lights of the city on the ground. Heero was touching the glass, revelling in the sight, while Relena was five feet behind him, admiring the view from a distance.

"Come here," Heero repeated, gently. "It's okay."

A few minutes passed, and Relena finally accepted his hand, both of them trying to ignore the spark of electricity igniting from the contact. He led her beside him, holding her hand tight as she realized that she was standing on transparent glass, which showed the direct view a thousand feet down.

"Don't look down," Heero said, letting go of her hand, and wrapping it around her waist to pull her closer. "I got you."

Relena relented and wrapped an arm around his waist, stiffening, but also revelling in his masculine scent.

"Just look straight ahead," his velvet voice compounded her senses. At this point, she wasn't sure what was causing her to fidget, her fear of heights or this beautiful stranger holding her. She did what she was told anyway – and it was the best decision ever.

She had never seen New Port City like this before. Pink, yellow, red, green, blue, orange lights sparkled on the ground, while bright stars, like diamonds, dotted the dark sky. Now _this_ was radiant; it was beautiful she couldn't tear her eyes away. _So this is how beautiful the world is from the top,_ she mused, clapping herself internally for overcoming one of her fears.

Her companion must have read her mind or maybe it's because she wasn't tense anymore because suddenly his lips were near her ears. "Now that wasn't so bad, right?"

She turned her head to face him just then. His face was still lingering near, his lips millimetres from hers. He looked at her lips before meeting her eyes; she parted her lips, breathing in a chunk of air, before leaning closer to him. She wanted to…

Her phone rang loud from her bag, breaking the moment. Relena cursed as she shut it down.

"What is it?" Heero asked, concern marring his features.

"My trip."

It was Heero's turn to curse. "Your trip!" How could they have forgotten? How could have time passed so fast? As much as he hated that their time was up, he also felt guilty about holding her up. He already screwed her plans once. Or maybe twice today. "Can you still make it?"

"Do I look like I care about that?" There was nothing playful about her tone and expression.

"I am such a bad influence on you."

"But you helped me get up here," Relena chimed, smiling. "So I guess that's another thank you. Don't worry about it. You ready for another place? I think I just reached my limit standing here."

"Of course," Heero's smile widened, and offered his hand to Relena, which she took.

~o~

* * *

"This is my favourite place in the city."

Waves crashed and a slew of sea breeze passed through them, Relena had to hold her hair over her shoulder. Heero surveyed the sea so clear and dark that the moon and stars were reflected upon its surface.

"I can see why," he mused, also unable to tear his eyes away from Relena's form as she faced the ocean.

"This is the beach where Princess Relena found Odin Lowe Jr."

Her voice compelled him to stand beside her, feeling amazed that they were standing in a significant place in Sanc history. His eyes swept through the horizon and the stretch of the beach, imagining how the late Princess found her lost love in this very place. And in his case, it felt like he had also found something he never knew he was looking for all along.

"Where were you supposed to be today?" he asked.

"A marriage meeting." Relena answered as she started walking along the beach coast.

He fell into step beside her, hands in his pockets. "Marriage meeting? You practice that in Sanc?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Why a marriage meeting?"

"I'm an only child. My parents have always been protective of me, growing up. Took every ounce of my effort on my part when I moved out so I'd be closer to my workplace. But in this case, they wanted to marry me off to someone…" She trailed off. " They've been protective of their business. They wanted to marry me off with a business partner."

"Who does that?" Heero's fists were clenching in his pocket, thinking of her marrying someone she wasn't in love with. Or marrying someone who wasn't him. Wait, back up, since when did he start thinking like that?

"My parents, Captain Obvious. I've always been doing what my parents want. And today," She took a deep breath. "Today is actually the first time I stood up for myself since I moved out three years ago. If you hadn't bumped in to me I would've been probably married off to that guy by now."

"Well thank the heavens for that." Heero raked a hand through his hair, waving off the tension in his body at the thought that he would've missed seeing her today. "How will your parents take it? You not showing up today."

"I'll deal with it. I mean, I just conquered Romafeller Tower, I think I can take on my parents, don't you think?" They stopped walking, and she flashed him a smile so wide his heart spread ad his stomach fluttered at the same time. "So having said that, I haven't been anywhere. I'm afraid of heights, and it's easy to conclude I'm afraid of flying, as well. I haven't been anywhere besides New Port. I haven't ridden a plane. Ever."

"For real?" His jaw dropped.

"Yeah," Relena looked back at the sea, embarrassed. "So what's your story? Why were you in haste today?"

"My ex."

"Aha! Girl problems, I knew it."

"Smartass," Heero chortled, pinching her cheek. "Well, my ex was in my bestfriend's wedding, too. Highschool friends, you now? She came up to me and said she wanted to get back together. I avoided her for the rest of the night; then I saw her again on the train. She wasn't a local so maybe she was also doing a tourist thing, so I was moving from one coach to another so I can avoid her. Then I ran into you. And here we are."

"Why'd you avoid her?"

"I literally walked in on her doing it with another man on our damn couch of our shared apartment. There's no going back from that."

"Ouch. I'm with you on that one."

"Thanks. But as for you…"

"There's no going forward with that one," she finished, knowing they were both referring to her arranged marriage. Then they laughed at the absurdity of their situations. After their laugher died down, Relena said, "So we were both running away from something, then. What are the odds?" She fully turned to him, "Do you believe in fate, Heero?" When Heero raised his brows and shrugged, she continued, "I do. I find it amazing that all our choices lead us into this moment of finding our other half, you know?"

Heero contemplated her words for a while, stalling, gazing at the crashing waves as the wind breezed through them. "You know?" he began, a couple of minutes later, looking down at her. "Before I met you, I would've said 'No.'" He took a step closer to her.

Relena held her breath as he stood _so_ close she can feel the heat from his body. "And now?" she breathed, lips parting.

"Now," Heero said, "All I know is this." He dipped his head down to capture her lips with his. Relena whimpered at the contact, her hands wounding around his neck and head, as she kissed him back fervently. Heero's arm also wrapped around her waist to pull her closer, while the other arm held the back of her neck as his tongue coaxed her mouth to accommodate him.

The man can damn kiss.

They were breathing profusely when they parted for air. "You have no idea how much I wanted to do that," Heero said, pressing his forehead against Relena's, his hand at the back of her neck, pressing her closer.

"Why did you wait that long?" Relena answered, pulling his head back down to kiss him again.

Later that night they were entangled on her bed, sheets falling off the corners. Clothes were on the floor. Lights were off. Only the light from the moon filtered through the curtains lit up the room. Relena's cheek was pressed against his chest, listening to the rapid beating of his heart after their sensational four-round bout on the bed. She had never been taken like that. One of Heero's hands was on her head, massaging her scalp, which helped her relax as she closed her eyes, ready to succumb to dreamland.

"Relena?" Heero called softly.

"Yes?"

"Fly with me."

"Hm?"

"Fly with me," he repeated, louder this time.

Relena opened her eyes and lifted her head to look at him. "To where?"

"Anywhere you want. Everywhere. I'll take you anywhere you want to go. Conquer our fears." The sincerity in his eyes made her heart hurt and alive at the same time. For she knew that whatever leap she would take with this man, there would be no going back from it. And she was willing to risk it.

"I'd love that," she said before kissing him.

~o~

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Hello, readers! :) This is my Valentine's treat to everyone. The story came up to me on Valentine's Day itself, but only got around to finishing it today. I'm leaving this story with a sort-of open ending just in case I want to continue this as a multi-chaptered fic in the near future. For now, I'mma let this be a one-shot. Haha. So yes. Happy Valentine's Day!


End file.
